and in all his Commands To him is due from Angels and Men and every other Creature whatsoever Worship Service or Obedience as Creatures they owe unto the Creator and whatever he is further pleased to require of them III. In the Unity of the God-head there be three Persons of one Substance Power and Eternity God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost The Father is of none neither begotten nor proceeding The Son is eternally begotten of the Father The holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son Which Doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our Communion with God and comfortable Dependence upon him CHAP. III. Of Gods Eternal Decree GOd from all eternity did by the most wise and holy Counsel of his own Will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass Yet so as thereby neither is God the Author of sin nor is violence offered to the will of the Creatures nor is the liberty or contingency of second Causes taken away but rather established II. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed Conditions yet hath he not decreed any thing because he foresaw it as future or as that which would come to pass upon such Conditions III. By the Decree of God for the manifestation of his Glory some Men and Angels are predestinated unto everlasting Life and others fore-ordained to everlasting Death IV. These Angels and Men thus predestinated and fore-ordained are particularly and unchangeably designed and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished V. Those of mankinde that are predestinated unto Life God before the foundation of the world was laid according to his eternal and immutable purpose and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his Will hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting Glory out of his meer free Grace and Love without any fore-sight of Faith or good Works or perseverance in either of them or any other thing in the Creature as Conditions or Causes moving him thereunto and all to the praise of his glorious Grace VI As God hath appointed the Elect unto Glory so hath he by the eternal and most free purpose of his Will fore-ordained all the means thereunto Wherefore they who are elected being faln in Adam are redeemed by Christ are effectually called unto Faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season are justified adopted sanctified and kept by his power through Faith unto salvation Neither are any other redeemed by Christ or effectually called justified adopted sanctified and saved but the Elect onely VII The rest of mankinde God was pleased according to the unsearchable Counsel of his own Will whereby he extendeth or withholdeth mercy as he pleaseth for the glory of his soveraign power over his Creatures to pass by and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin to the praise of his glorious Justice VIII The Doctrine of this high mystery of Predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care that men attending the will of God revealed in his Word and yielding obedience thereunto may from the certainty of their effectual Vocation be assured of their eternal Election So shall this Doctrine afford matter of praise reverence and admiration of God and of humility diligence and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the Gospel CHAP. IV. Of Creation IT pleased God the Father Son and holy Ghost for the manifestation of the glory of his eternal Power Wisdom and Goodness in the beginning to create or make of nothing the world and all things therein whether visible or invisible in the space of six days and all very good II. After God had made all other creatures he created Man male and female with reasonable and immortal Souls endued with knowledge righteousness and true holiness after his own Image having the Law of God written in their heart and power to fulfil it and yet under a possibility of transgressing being left to the liberty of their own Will which was subject unto change Besides this Law written in their hearts they received a command not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil which whiles they kept they were happy in their communion with God and had dominion over the Creatures CHAP. V. Of Providence GOd the great Creator of all things doth uphold direct dispose and govern all creatures actions and things from the greatest even to the least by his most wise and holy Providence according unto his infallible fore-knowledge and the free and immutable counsel of his own Will to the praise of the glory of his Wisdom Power Justice Goodness and Mercy II. Although in relation to the fore-knowledge and decree of God the first Caufe all things come to pass immutably and infallibly yet by the same Providence he ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second Causes either necessarily freely or contingently III. God in his ordinary Providence maketh use of means yet is free to work without above and against them at his pleasure IV. The almighty Power unsearchable Wisdom and infinite Goodness of God so far manifest themselves in his Providence in that his determinate Counsel extendeth it self even to the first Fall and all other sins of Angels and Men and that not by a bare permission which also he most wisely and powerfully boundeth and otherwise ordereth and governeth in a manifold Dispensation to his own most holy ends yet so as the sinfulness thereof proceedeth onely from the Creature and not from God who being most holy and righteous neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin V. The most wise righteous and gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a season his own children to manifold temptations and the corruption of their own hearts to chastise them for their former sins or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts that they may be humbled and to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon himself and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin and for sundry other just and holy ends VI As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God as a righteous Judge for former sins doth blinde and harden from them he not onely withholdeth his grace whereby they might have been inlightned in their understandings and wrought upon in their hearts but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasions of sin and withal gives them over to their own lusts the temptations of the world and the power of Satan whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves even under those means which God useth for the softning of others VII As the providence of God doth in general reach to all Creatures so after a most special maner it taketh care of his Church and disposeth all things to the good thereof
and Spirit overcoming all their enemies by his almighty Power and Wisdom in such maner and ways as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation Chap. IX Of Free-will GOd hath endued the Will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice that it is neither forced nor by any absolute necessity of Nature determined to do good or evil II. Man in his state of Innocency had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well pleasing to God but yet mutably so that he might fall from it III. Man by his fall into a state of sin hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation so as a natural man being altogether averse from that good and dead in sin is not able by his own strength to convert himself or to prepare himself thereunto IV. When God converts a sinner and translates him into the state of grace he freeth him from his natural bondage under sin and by his grace alone inables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruption he doth not perfectly nor onely will that which is good but doth also will that which is evil V. The will of Man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone in the state of Glory onely CHAP. X. Of Effectual Calling ALl those whom God hath predestinated unto life and those onely he is pleased in his appointed and accepted time effectually to call by his Word and Spirit out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ inlightning their mindes spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God taking away their heart of stone and giving unto them an heart of flesh renewing their wills and by his almighty power determining them to that which is good and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ yet so as they come most freely being made willing by his grace II. This effectual Call is of Gods free and special grace alone not from any thing at all foreseen in man who is altogether passive therein until being quickned and renewed by the holy Spirit he is thereby enabled to answer this Call and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it III. Elect Infants dying in Infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ who worketh when and where and how he pleaseth so also are all other elect persons who are uncapable of being outwardly called by the Ministery of the Word IV. Others not elected although they may be called by the Ministery of the Word and may have some common operations of the Spirit yet not being effectually drawn by the Father they neither do nor can come unto Christ and therefore cannot be saved much less can men not professing the Christian Religion be saved in any other way whatsoever be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the Light of Nature and the Law of that Religion they do profess And to assert and maintain that they may is very pernicious and to be detested CHAP. XI Of Justification THose whom God effectually calleth he also freely justifieth not by infusing righteousness into them but by pardoning their sins and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christs sake alone nor by imputing Faith it self the act of believing or any other Evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness but by imputing Christs active obedience unto the whole Law and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole righteousness they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness by Faith which Faith they have not of themselves it is the gift of God II. Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness is the alone instrument of justification yet it is not alone in the person justified but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces and is no dead Faith but worketh by Love III. Christ by his Obedience and Death did fully discharge the Debt of all those that are justified and did by the sacrifice of himself in the blood of his Cross undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them make a proper real and full satisfaction to Gods Justice in their behalf Yet in as much as he was given by the Father for them and his Obedience and Satisfaction accepted in their stead and both freely not for any thing in them their justification is onely of free grace that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners IV. God did from all eternity decree to justifie all the Elect and Christ did in the fulness of time die for their sins and rise again for their justification Nevertheless they are not justified personally until the holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them V. God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified and although they can never fall from the state of justification yet they may by their sins fall under Gods fatherly displeasure and in that condition they have not usually the light of his Countenance restored unto them until they humble themselves confess their sins beg pardon and renew their faith and repentance VI The justification of Believers under the old Testament was in all these respects one and the same with the justification of Believers under the new Testament CHAP. XII Of Adoption ALl those that are justified God vouchsafeth in and for his onely Son Jesus Christ to make partakers of the grace of Adoption by which they are taken into the number and enjoy the Liberties and priviledges of the Children of God have this Name put upon them receive the Spirit of Adoption have access to the Throne of Grace with boldness are enabled to cry Abba Father are pitied protected provided for and chastened by him as by a father yet never cast off but sealed to the day of Redemption and inherit the Promises as Heirs of everlasting Salvation CHAP. XIII Of Sanctification THey that are united to Christ effectually called and regenerated having a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the vertue of Christs death and resurrection are also further sanctified really and personally through the same vertue by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakned and mortified and they more and more quickned and strengthned in all saving graces to the practice of all true holiness without which no man shall see the Lord II. This Sanctification is throughout in the whole man yet imperfect in this life there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part whence ariseth a continual and irreconcileable war the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh III. In which war although
the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ the regenerate part doth overcome and so the Saints grow in grace perfecting holiness in the fear of God CHAP. XIV Of saving Faith THe grace of Faith whereby the Elect are inabled to believe to the saving of their souls is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts and is ordinarily wrought by the Ministery of the Word by which also and by the administration of the Seals Prayer and other means it is increased and strengthened II. By this Faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth yielding obedience to the commands trembling at the threatnings and embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come But the principal acts of saving Faith are accepting receiving and resting upon Christ alone for justification sanctification and eternal life by vertue of the covenant of Grace III. This Faith although it be different in degrees and may be weak or strong yet it is in the least degree of it different in the kinde or nature of it as is all other saving grace from the faith and common grace of temporary believers and therefore though it may be many times assailed and weakned yet it gets the victory growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ who is both the author and finisher of our Faith CHAP. XV Of Repentance unto life and salvation SUch of the Elect as are converted at riper years having sometime lived in the state of nature and therein served divers lusts and pleasures God in their effectual calling giveth them Repentance unto life II. Whereas there is none that doth good and sinneth not and the best of men may through the power and deceitfulness of their corruptions dwelling in them with the prevalency of temptation fall into great sins and provocations God hath in the covenant of Grace mercifully provided that Believers so sinning and falling be renewed through repentance unto Salvation III. This saving Repentance is an Evangelical Grace whereby a person being by the holy Ghost made sensible of the manifold evils of his sin doth by Faith in Christ humble himself for it with godly sorrow detestation of it and self-abhorrency praying for pardon and strength of Grace with a purpose and endeavor by supplies of the Spirit to walk before God unto all well-pleasing in all things IV. As Repentance is to be continued through the whole course of our lives upon the account of the body of death and the motions thereof so it is every mans duty to repent of his particular known sins particularly V. Such is the provision which God hath made through Christ in the Covenant of Grace for the preservation of Believers unto salvation that although there is no sin so small but it deserves damnation yet there is no sin so great that it shall bring damnation on them who truly repent which makes the constant preaching of Repentance necessary CHAP. XVI Of good Works GOOd works are onely such as God hath commanded in his holy Word and not such as without the warrant thereof are devised by men out of blinde zeal or upon any pretence of good intentions II. These good Works done in obedience to Gods commandments are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively Faith and by them Believers manifest their thankfulness strengthen their assurance edifie their Brethren adorn the profession of the Gospel stop the mouthes of the adversaries and glorifie God whose workmanship they are created in Christ Jesus thereunto that having their fruit unto holiness they may have the end eternal life III. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves but wholly from the Spirit of Christ And that they may be enabled thereunto besides the graces they have already received there is required an actual influence of the same holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them IV. They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life are so far from being able to supererogate and to do more then God requires as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do V. We cannnot by our best works merit pardon of sin or eternal life at the hand of God by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come and the infinite distance that is between us and God whom by them we can neither profit nor â—â—tisfie for the debt of our former sins but when we have done all we can we have done but our duty and are unprofitable servants and because as they are good they proceed from his Spirit and as they are wrought by us they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection that they cannot endure the severity of Gods judgement VI Yet notwithstanding the persons of Believers being accepted through Christ their good works also are accepted in Him not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreproveable in Gods sight but that he looking upon them in his Son is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections VII Works done by unregenerate men although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands and of good use both to themselves and to others yet because they proceed not from a heart purified by Faith nor are done in a right maner according to the Word not to a right end the glory of God they are therefore sinful and cannot please God nor make a man meet to receive grace from God and yet their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God CHAP. XVII Of the Perseverance of the Saints THey whom God hath accepted in his beloved effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved II. This Perseverance of the Saints depends not upon their own free-will but upon the immutability of the Decree of Election from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with him the Oath of God the abiding of his Spirit and of the seed of God within them and the nature of the Covenant of Grace from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof III. And though they may through the temptation of Satan and of the world
unexcusable yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and of his Will which is necessary unto salvation Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers maners to reveal himself and to declare that his Will unto his Church and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the truth and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh and the malice of Satan and of the world to commit the same wholly unto writing which maketh the holy Scripture to be most necessary those former ways of Gods revealing his Will unto his people being now ceased II. Under the name of the holy Scripture or the Word of God written are now contained all the Books of the Old and New Testament which are these Of the Old Testament Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes The Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Of the New Testament Matthew Mark Luke John The Acts of the Apostles Pauls Epistle to the Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 to Timothy 2 to Timothy To Titus To Philemon The Epistle to the Hebrews The Epistle of James The first and second Epistles of Peter The first second and third Epistles of John The Epistle of Jude The Revelation All which are given by the inspiration of God to be the Rule of Faith and Life III. The Books commonly called Apocrypha not being of Divine inspiration are no part of the Canon of the Scripture and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of then other humane writings IV. The Authority of the holy Scripture for which it ought to be believed and obeyed dependeth not upon the Testimony of any man or Church but wholly upon God who is Truth it self the Author thereof and therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God V. We may be moved and induced by the Testimony of the Church to an high and reverent esteem of the holy Scripture And the heavenliness of the Matter the efficacy of the Doctrine the majesty of the Style the consent of all the parts the scope of the whole which is to give all glory to God the full discovery it makes of the onely way of Mans Salvation the many other incomparable excellencies and the intire perfection thereof are Arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence it self to be the Word of God Yet notwithstanding our full perswasion and assurance of the infallible Truth and Divine Authority thereof is from the inward work of the holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts VI The whole Counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own Glory mans Salvation Faith and Life is either expresly set down in Scripture or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture unto which nothing at any time is to be added whether by new Revelations of the Spirit or Traditions of men Nevertheless we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word And that there are some circumstances concerning the Worship of God and Government of the Church common to humane actions and Societies which are to be ordered by the Light of Nature and Christian prudence according to the general Rules of the Word which are always to be observed VII All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves nor alike clear unto all yet those things which are necessary to be known believed and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other that not onely the learned but the unlearned in a due use of the ordinary means may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them VIII The Old Testament in Hebrew which was the Native Language of the People of God of old and the New Testament in Greek which at the time of writing of it was most generally known to the Nations being immediately inspired by God and by his singular care and providence kept pure in all Ages are therefore Authentical so as in all Controversies of Religion the Church is finally to appeal unto them But because these Original Tongues are not known to all the people of God who have right unto and interest in the Scriptures and are commanded in the fear of God to read and search them therefore they are to be translated into the vulgar language of every Nation unto which they come that the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all they may worship him in an acceptable maner and through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope IX The infallible Rule of Interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture it self And therefore when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture which is not manifold but one it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly X. The Supreme Judge by which all controversies of Religion are to be determined and all Decrees of Councels Opinions of ancient Writers Doctrines of men and private Spirits are to be examined and in whose Sentence we are to rest can be no other but the holy Scripture delivered by the Spirit into which Scripture so delivered our Faith is finally resolved CHAP. II. Of God and of the holy Trinity THere is but one onely living and true God who is infinite in Being and Perfection a most pure Spirit invisible without body parts or passions immutable immense eternal incomprehensible almighty most wise most holy most free most absolute working all things according to the Counsel of his own immutable and most righteous Will for his own Glory most loving gracious merciful long-suffering abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin the rewarder of them that diligently seek him and withal most just and terrible in his Judgements hating all sin and who will by no means clear the guilty II. God hath all Life Glory Goodness Blessedness in and of himself and is alone in and unto himself All-sufficient not standing in need of any Creatures which he hath made nor deriving any glory from them but onely manifesting his own glory in by unto and upon them He is the alone Fountain of all Being of whom through whom and to whom are all things and hath most Soveraign dominion over them to do by them for them or upon them whatsoever himself pleaseth In his sight all things are open and manifest his Knowledge is infinite infallible and independent upon the Creature so as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain He is most holy in all his Counsels in all his Works
CHAP. VI Of the fall of Man of Sin and of the Punishment thereof GOd having made a Covenant of Works and Life thereupon with our first Parents and all their posterity in them they being seduced by the subtilty and temptation of Satan did wilfully transgress the Law of their Creation and break the Covenant in eating the forbidden fruit II. By this sin they and we in them fell from original righteousness and communion with God and so became dead in sin and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body III. They being the Root and by Gods appointment standing in the room and stead of all mankinde the guilt of this sin was imputed and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation IV. From this Original corruption whereby we are utterly indisposed disabled and made opposite to all good and wholly inclined to all evil do proceed all Actual transgression V. This Corruption of nature during this life doth remain in those that are regenerated and although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified yet both it self and all the motions thereof are truely and properly sin VI Every sin both original and actual being a transgression of the righteous Law of God and contrary thereunto doth in its own nature bring guilt upon the sinner whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God and curse of the Law and so made subject to death with all miseries spiritual temporal and eternal CHAP. VII Of Gods Covenant with Man THe distance between God and the Creature is so great that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator yet they could never have attained the reward of life but by some voluntary condescension on Gods part which he hath been pleased to express by way of Covenant II. The first Covenant made with man was a Covenant of Works wherein life was promised to Adam and in him to his posterity upon condition of perfect and personal obedience III. Man by his fall having made himself uncapable of life by that Covenant the Lord was pleased to make a second commonly called the Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ requiring of them faith in him that they may be saved and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto life his holy Spirit to make them willing and able to believe IV. This Covenant of Grace is frequently set forth in the Scripture by the name of a Testament in reference to the death of Jesus Christ the Testator and to the everlasting Inheritance with all things belonging to it therein bequeathed V. Although this Covenant hath been differently and variously administred in respect of Ordinances and Institutions in the time of the Law and since the coming of Christ in the flesh yet for the substance and efficacy of it to all its spiritual and saving ends it is one and the same upon the account of which various dispensations it is called the Old and New Testament CHAP. VIII Of Christ the Mediator IT pleased God in his eternal purpose to chuse and ordain the Lord Jesus his onely begotten Son according to a Covenant made between them both to be the Mediator between God and Man the Prophet Priest and King the Head and Savior of his Church the Heir of all things and Judge of the World unto whom he did from all eternity give a people to be his feed and to be by him in time redeemed called justified sanctified and glorified II. The Son of God the second Person in the Trinity being very and eternal God of one substance and equal with the Father did when the fulness of time was come take upon him Mans nature with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof yet without sin being conceived by the power of the holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary of her substance So that two whole perfect and distinct natures the Godhead and the Manhood were inseparably joyned together in one Person without conversion composition or confusion which Person is very God and very Man yet one Christ the onely Mediator between God and Man III. The Lord Jesus in his Humane nature thus united to the Divine in the Person of the Son was sanctified and anointed with the holy Spirit above measure having in him all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge in whom it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell to the end that being holy harmless undefiled and full of grace and truth he might be throughly furnished to execute the Office of a Mediator and Surety which Office he took not unto himself but was thereunto called by his Father who also put all Power and Judgement into his hand and gave him Commandment to execute the same IV. This Office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake which that he might discharge he was made under the Law and did perfectly fulfil it and underwent the punishment due to us which we should have born and suffered being made sin and a curse for us enduring most grievous torments immediately from God in his soul and most painful sufferings in his body was crucified and died was buried and remained under the power of death yet saw no corruption on the third day he arose from the dead with the same Body in which he suffered with which also he ascended into Heaven and there sitteth at the right hand of his Father making intercession and shall return to judge Men and Angels at the end of the world V. The Lord Jesus by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God hath fully satisfied the Justice of God and purchased not onely reconciliation but an everlasting inheritance in the Kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father hath given unto him VI Athough the work of Redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after his Incarnation yet the vertue efficacy and benefits thereof were communicated to the Elect in all ages successively from the beginning of the world in and by those Promises Types and Sacrifices wherein he was revealed and signified to be the Seed of the Woman which should bruise the Serpents head and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world being yesterday and to day the same and for ever VII Christ in the work of Mediation acteth according to both Natures by each Nature doing that which is proper to it self yet by reason of the unity of the Person that which is proper to one Nature is sometimes in Scripture attributed to the Person denominated by the other Nature VIII To all those for whom Christ hath purchased Redemption he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same making intercession for them and revealing unto them in and by the Word the mysteries of salvation effectually perswading them by his Spirit to believe and obey and governing their hearts by his Word
the prevalency of corruption remaining in them and the neglect of the means of their preservation fall into grievous sins and for a time continue therein whereby they incur Gods displeasure and grieve his holy Spirit come to have their graces and comforts impaired have their hearts hardned and their consciences wounded hurt and scandalize others and bring temporal judgements upon themselves yet they are and shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation CHAP. XVIII Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation ALthough temporary believers and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God and state of salvation which hope of theirs shall perish yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love him in sincerity endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him may in this life be certainly assured that they are in the state of Grace and may rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God which hope shall never make them ashamed II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable perswasion grounded upon a fallible hope but and infallible assurance of faith founded on the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel and also upon the inward evidence of those graces unto which promises are made and on the immediate witness of the Spirit testifying our Adoption and as a fruit thereof leaving the heart more humblâ— and holy III. This infallible Assurance doth not so belong to the essence of Faith but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it yet being inabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God he may without extraordinary revelation in the right use of ordinary means attain thereunto And therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure that thereby his heart may be inlarged in peace and joy in the holy Ghost in love and thankfulness to God and in strength and chearfulness in the duties of obedience the proper fruits of this assurance so far is it from inclining men to loosness IV. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken diminished and intermitted as by negligence in preserving of it by falling into some special sin which woundeth the conscience and grieveth the Spirit by some sudden or vehement temptation by Gods withdrawing the light of his countenance suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light yet are they neither utterly destitute of that seed of God and life of Faith that love of Christ and the Brethren that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty out of which by the operation of the Spirit this assurance may in due time be revived and by the which in the mean time they are supported from utter despair CHAP. XIX Of the Law of God GOd gave to Adam a Law of universal obedience written in his heart and a particular precept of not eating the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil as a Covenant of Works by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal entire exact and perpetual obedience promised life upon the fulfilling and threatned death upon the breach of it and indued him with power and ability to keep it II. This Law so written in the heart continued to be a perfect Rule of righteousness after the fall of man and was delivered by God upon mount Sinai in ten Commandments and written in two Tables the four first Commandments containing our duty towards God and the other six our duty to man III. Beside this Law commonly called Moral God was pleased to give to the people of Israel Ceremonial Laws containing several Typical Ordinances partly of Worship prefiguring Christ his Graces Actions Sufferings and Benefits and partly holding forth divers Instructions of Moral Duties All which Ceremonial Laws being appointed onely to the time of Reformation are by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and onely Law-giver who was furnished with power from the Father for that end abrogated and taken away IV. To them also he gave sundry Judicial Laws which expired together with the State of that people not obliging any now by vertue of that Institution their general equity onely being still of moral use V. The Moral Law doth for ever binde all as well justified persons as others to the obedience thereof and that not onely in regard of the matter contained in it but also in respect of the Authority of God the Creator who gave it neither doth Christ in the Gospel any way dissolve but much strengthen this obligation VI Although true believers be not under the Law as a Covenant of Works to be thereby justified or condemned yet it is of great use to them as well as to others in that as a rule of life informing them of the Will of God and their duty it directs and bindes them to walk accordingly discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature hearts and lives so as examining themselves thereby they may come to further conviction of humiliation for and hatred against sin together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ and the perfection of his obedience It is likewise of use to the regenerate to restrain their corruptions in that it forbids sin and the threatnings of it serve to shew what even their sins deserve and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them although freed from the curse thereof threatned in the Law The promises of it in like maner shew them Gods approbation of obedience and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof although not as due to them by the Law as a Covenant of Works so as a mans doing good and refraining from evil because the Law incourageth to the one and deterreth from the other is no evidence of his being under the Law and not under Grace VII Neither are the forementioned uses of the Law contrary to the grace of the Gospel but do sweetly comply with it the Spirit of Christ subduing and inabling the will of man to do that freely and chearfully which the will of God revealed in the Law required to be done CHAP. XX Of the Gospel and of the extent of the Grace thereof THe Covenant of Works being broken by sin and made unprofitable unto life God was pleased to give unto the Elect the promise of Christ the seed of the Woman as the means of calling them and begetting in them Faith and Repentance In this promise the Gospel as to the substance of it was revealed and was therein effectual for the conversion and salvation of sinners II. This promise of Christ and salvation by him is revealed onely in and by the Word of God neither do the works of Creation or Providence with the Light of Nature make discovery of Christ or of Grace by him
A DECLARATION OF THE FAITH and ORDER Owned and practised in the Congregational Churches IN ENGLAND Agreed upon and consented unto By their ELDERS and MESSENGERS IN Their Meeting at the SAVOY October 12. 1658. LONDON Printed by John Field and are to be sold by John Allen at the Sun Rising in Pauls Church-yard 1659. A PREFACE Confession of the Faith that is in us when justly called for is so indispensable a due all owe to the Glory of the Soveraign GOD that it is ranked among the Duties of the first Commandment such as Prayer is and therefore by Paul yoaked with Faith it self as necessary to salvation With the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Our Lord Christ himself when he was accused of his Doctrine considered simply as a matter of fact by preaching refused to answer because as such it lay upon evidence and matter of testimony of others unto whom therefore he refers himself But when both the High Priest and Pilate expostulate his Faith and what he held himself to be he without any demur at all cheerfully makes declaration That he was the Son of GOD so to the High Priest And that he was a King and born to be a King thus to Pilate though upon the uttering of it his life lay at the stake Which holy profession of his is celebrated for our example 1 Tim. 6.13 Confessions when made by a company of professors of Christianity joyntly meeting to that end the most genuine and natural use of such Confessions is That under the same form of words they express the substance of the same common salvation or unity of their faith whereby speaking the same things they shew themselves perfectly joyned in the same minde and in the same judgement And accordingly such a transaction is to be looked upon but as a meet or fit medium or means whereby to express that their common faith and salvation and no way to be made use of as an imposition upon any Whatever is of force or constraint in matters of this nature causeth them to degenerate from the name and nature of Confessions and turns them from being Confessions of Faith into exactions and impositions of Faith And such common Confessions of the Orthodox Faith made in simplicity of heart by any such Body of Christians with concord among themselves ought to be entertained by all others that love the truth as it is in Jesus with an answerable rejoycing For if the unanimous opinions and assertions but in some few points of Religion and that when by two Churches namely that of Jerusalem and the Messengers of Antioch met assisted by some of the Apostles were by the Believers of those times received with so much joy as it is said They rejoyced for the consolation much more this is to be done when the whole substance of Faith and form of wholsome words shall be declared by the Messengers of a multitude of Churches though wanting those advantages of counsel and authority of the Apostles which that Assembly had Which acceptation is then more specially due when these shall to choose utter and declare their Faith in the same substance for matter yea words for the most part that other Churches and Assemblies reputed the most Orthodox have done before them For upon such a correspondency all may see that actually accomplished which the Apostle did but exhort unto and pray for in those two more eminent Churches of the Corinthians and the Romans and so in them for all the Christians of his time that both Jew and Gentile that is men of different perswasions as they were might glorifie GOD with one minde and with one mouth And truly the very turning of the Gentiles to the owning of the same Faith in the substance of it with the Christian Jew though differing in greater points then we do from our brethren is presently after dignified by the Apostle with this stile That it is the Confession of Jesus Christ himself not as the Object onely but as the Author and Maker thereof I will confess to thee saith Christ to God among the Gentiles So that in all such accords Christ is the great and first Confessor and we and all our Faith uttered by us are but the Epistles as Paul and Confessions as Isaiah there of their Lord and ours He but expressing what is written in his heart through their hearts and mouthes to the glory of God the Father And shall not we all rejoyce herein when as Christ himself is said to do it upon this occasion as it there also follows I will sing unto thy Name Further as the soundness and wholsomness of the matter gives the vigor and life to such Confessions so the inward freeness willingness and readiness of the spirits of the Confessors do contribute the beauty and loveliness thereunto as it is in Prayer to God so in Confessions made to men If two or three met do agree it renders both to either the more acceptable The Spirit of Christ is in himself too free great and generous a Spirit to suffer himself to be used by any humane arm to whip men into belief he drives not but gently leads into all truth and perswades men to dwell in the tents of like precious Faith which would lose of its preciousness and value if that sparkle of freeness shone not in it The character of his people is to be a willing people in the day of his power not Mans in the beauties of holiness which are the Assemblings of the Saints one glory of which Assemblings in that first Church is said to have been They met with one accord which is there in that Psalm prophesied of in the instance of that first Church for all other that should succeed And as this great Spirit is in himself free when and how far and in whom to work so where and when he doth work he carrieth it with the same freedom and is said to be a free Spirit as he both is and works in us And where this Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty Now as to this Confession of ours besides that a conspicuous conjunction of the particulars mentioned hath appeared therein There are also four remarkable Attendants thereon which added might perhaps in the eyes of sober and indifferent spirits give the whole of this Transaction a room and rank amongst other many good and memorable things of this age at least all set together do cast as clear a gleam and manifestation of Gods Power and Presence as hath appeared in any such kinde of Confessions made by so numerous a company these later years The first is the Temper or distemper rather of the times during which these Churches have been gathering and which they have run through All do out of a general sense complain that the times have been perillous or difficult times as the Apostle foretold and that in respect to danger from seducing spirits
of a new Refinement that themselves are approved Members admitted to the Lords Supper and their children to the Ordinance of Baptism they regard not other matters as Gallio did not but do easily and readily give up themselves unto their Guides being like dead fishes carried with the common stream whereas those that have a further renewed light by a work of the holy Ghost whether saving or temporary are upon the quite contrary grounds apt to be busie about and inquisitive into what they are to receive and practise or wherein their consciences are professedly concerned and involved And thereupon they take the freedom to examine and try the spirits whether of God or no And from hence are more apt to dissatisfaction and from thence to run into division and many of such proving to be inlightned but with a temporary not saving Faith who have such a work of the Spirit upon them and profession in them as will and doth approve it self to the judgement of Saints and ought to be so judged until they be otherwise discovered who at long run prove hypocrites through indulgence unto lusts and then out of their lusts persist to hold up these divisions unto breach of or departings from Churches and the Ordinances of God and God is even with them for it they waxing worse and worse deceiving and being deceived and even many of those that are sincere through a mixture of darkness and erroneousness in their judgements are for a season apt out of conscience to be led away with the error of others which lie in wait to deceive Insomuch as the Apostle upon the example of those first times foreseeing also the like events in following generations upon the like causes hath been bold to set this down as a ruled Case that likewise in other Churches so constituted and de facto empriviledged as that of the Church of Corinth was which single Church in the sacred Records about it is the compleatest Mirror of Church-Constitution Order and Government and events thereupon ensuing of any one Church whatever that we have story of his Maxim is There must be also divisions amongst you he setly inserts an ALSO in the case as that which had been in his own observation and that which would be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the fate of other Churches like thereunto so prophesieth he And he speaks this as peremptorily as he doth elsewhere in that other We must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Yea and that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution There is a MUST upon both alike and we bless God that we have run through both and do say and we say no more That as it was then so it is now in both respects However such hath been the powerful hand of Gods Providence in these which have been the worst of our Tryals That out of an approved experience and observation of the issue we are able to add that other part of the Apostles Prediction That therefore such rents must be that they which are approved may be made manifest among you which holy issue God as having aimed at it therein doth frequently and certainly bring about in Churches as he doth bring upon them that other fate of division Let them therefore look unto it that are the Authors of such disturbances as the Apostle warneth Gal. 5.10 The experiment is this That we have seen and do daily see that multitudes of holy and precious souls and in the holy Ghosts word approved Saints have been and are the more rooted and grounded by means of these shakings and do continue to cleave the faster to Christ and the purity of his Ordinances and value them the more by this cost God hath put them to for the enjoying of them who having been planted in the House of the Lord have flourished in the Courts of our God in these evil times to shew that the Lord is upright And this experimented event from out of such divisions hath more confirmed us and is a lowder Apologie for us then all that our opposites are able from our breaches to alleadge to prejudice us We will add a few words for conclusion and give a more particular account of this our DECLARATION In drawing up this Confession of Faith we have had before us the Articles of Religion approved and passed by both Houses of Parliament after advice had with an Assembly of Divines called together by them for that purpose To which Confession for the substance of it we fully assent as do our Brethren of New-England and the Churches also of Scotland as each in their general Synods have testified A few things we have added for obviating some erroneous opinions that have been more broadly and boldly here of late maintained by the Asserters then in former times and made other additions and alterations in method here and there and some clearer explanations as we found occasion We have endeavored throughout to hold to such Truths in this our Confession as are more properly termed matters of Faith and what is of Church-order we dispose in certain Propositions by it self To this course we are led by the Example of the Honorable Houses of Parliament observing what was established and what omitted by them in that Confession the Assembly presented to them Who thought it not convenient to have matters of Discipline and Church-Government put into a Confession of Faith especially such particulars thereof as then were and still are controverted and under dispute by men Orthodox and sound in Faith The 30th cap. therefore of that Confession as it was presented to them by the Assembly which is of Church-Censures their Use Kindes and in whom placed As also cap. 31. of Synods and Councels by whom to be called of what force in their decrees and determinations And the 4th paragr. of the 20th cap. which determines what opinions and practises disturb the peace of the Church and how such disturbers ought to be proceeded against by the Censures of the Church and punished by the Civil Magistrate Also a great part of the 24th cap. of Marriage and Divorce These were such doubtful assertions and so unsutable to a Confession of Faith as the Honorable Houses in their great Wisdom thought fit to lay them aside There being nothing that tends more to heighten dissentings among Brethren then to determine and adopt the matter of their difference under so high a title as to be an Article of our â—â—ith So that there are two whole Chapters and some Paragraphs in other Chapters in their Confession that we have upon this account omitted and the rather do we give this notice because that Copy of the Parliaments followed by us is in few mens hands the other as it came from the Assembly being approved of in Scotland was printed and hastened â—nto the world before the Parliament had declared their Resolutions about it which was not till June 20. 1648. and yet